https://steemitimages.com/DQmfDyvdN1CUfEv5jh8FWGDPGARaoPiVNXEogjmYbmuL75r/20180202_203736.jpg Hello Steemit! My name is Aisling, I’m 27, and I live in Dublin, Ireland. My interests include cuddling dogs, looking at pictures of dogs, wishing I had a dog (not possible right now because my landlord would hit the roof and my flat is far too small), cuddling cats, looking at pictures of cats, wishing I had a cat … I think my point has been made. 😁 I love animals. I was introduced to Steemit by my lovely girlfriend, @charlottefawsitt. Having saved the incredibly long password that was assigned to me – prefixed by the statement: ‘JEEZUS! State of this password’ – and made a decision on what I want to say, I am ready to begin. So, in no particular order, here are some of my interests and passions. I’m hoping to expand on them in future posts and have conversations with people who share some of those interests. Being artsy https://steemitimages.com/DQmNYpJTWJYkMyMy5C6tyK6qVZEeUxRZWN8tGrU9epp9bN8/13166091_1249465805078738_8310217190694275173_n.jpg I believe that the stories we tell to ourselves reveal who we are, and for this reason, I have a great belief in the power of dynamic, creative storytelling that is an inherent component of theatre and the performing arts in general. I did Drama and Theatre Studies in college and I write for the stage whenever I can. My most recent production was a play called Don’t Call it That with Born to Burn Productions. It addressed the aftermath of a young woman’s experience of sexual assault and her reluctance to use the word ‘rape’ to describe it. If I were to pick just one recent production I acted in that affected me the most, I would say it was Vessel, produced by Quintessence Theatre Company. Vessel dealt with the lack of abortion access in Ireland and the ongoing controversy around the Eighth Amendment of our Constitution. I am a writer with the environmental news and advocacy site, One Green Planet, based in New York City. I have written for them since late 2013, having gotten to know the site during a visit to New York that summer. I am also the co-editor of a health and holistic lifestyle magazine here in Dublin called Positive Life. I guess my interest in journalism is an extension of my reason for being interested in theatre and the arts: it springs from a desire to examine the world and the beliefs that shape it. Perpetuating the good ol’ Queer Agenda™ https://steemitimages.com/DQmS5eETHfVUgsqZTGTGpCx6tD6WRiXvzENnrDa1FTBjCk7/13510979_1283313415027310_2528591380949695479_n.jpg The above picture portrays me being hetero AF … or not. 😁 In all seriousness, as a bisexual person, I have known the pressure of feeling as though the lack of ability to ‘pick a side’ represents some kind of moral failure on your part. I have known what it is to be afraid that you will never quite be accepted or seen as trustworthy by either gay or straight people. I knew I was bi at the age of fourteen, but I suppressed that knowledge for many years before finally coming out to my friends and family as a lesbian in 2011. At the time, I felt that I really should just ‘pick a side’ and be done with it. However, a few months after telling everyone that I was gay as gay could be, I developed feelings for a guy. This ultimately led me to accept, once and for all, that I was bisexual – though the hilarious thing is that nothing ever happened with that guy (primarily because I used to handle all of my crushes in those days by being too terrified to speak to the person, glance in their direction, or acknowledge their general existence). Nevertheless, these days, I am a proud perpetuator of The Queer Agenda™. Personally, I would define that agenda as a desire to ensure that every child can grow up knowing that they will be accepted and loved, regardless of what their gender or sexual orientation may be. Listening to painfully cheesy, embarrassing pop music https://steemitimages.com/DQmPgC6afbEdaPaEP3ZzkLvbiwYH8yDYkMzy1druCWcpXSo/90s-Pop-Music-mainstream-music-38746000-618-618.png My enthusiasm for terrible pop music is a source of endless embarrassment to @charlottefawsitt and anyone else in my life whose musical taste is cooler than mine (which would cover just about everyone, given that my musical taste is desperately, tragically uncool). I consider myself fortunate to have grown up during the golden era of boy bands, upbeat pop music, and all-round cheese: the Nineties. My everyday life largely consists of sitting at my desk typing, so whenever I decide to take a break, few things help me to relax more effectively than prancing around my apartment, warbling As Long As You Love Me or Bop Bop Baby at a volume just low enough to avoid traumatising my neighbours. I am a great believer in doing things whole-heartedly – it’s a case of go big or go home – so my renditions of these timeless classics always include funny voices, dramatic gestures, and over-the-top displays of emotion. I regret nothing and apologise for nothing. 😇 Being a gym bunny https://steemitimages.com/DQmdggdfZuoWUsvBLxhTw7LZ3Yrour3VELfXksimwEoQkZ4/GymFunny.jpg I love my fitness routine, but always stay well away from the area that I call Testosterone City. Testosterone City is basically the weight-lifting section of the gym, filled with men throwing heavy objects around, being muscular, and generally radiating such a strong air of Masculinity-Infused Manly Manliness that I immediately get scared and back away. Women can occasionally be seen there too, to be fair, but it isn’t my thing! I prefer to stick to half an hour of strong cardiovascular work, followed by a lovely, relaxing swim in the pool. And finally… https://steemitimages.com/DQmf5E3vtRaQvqZPoZ9rTfA2GGT49VbeQfrZVXmHjcBoHii/rsz_buddyhammock.jpg Here is a picture of me with my beloved family dog, Buddy. 😊 I once had the opportunity to write about him and his many quirks for One Green Planet. It was his third birthday on January 26th, so for my next post, I may write about his annual birthday parties, and why – even though people don’t usually make a big fuss out of celebrating their animals’ birthdays – we intend to keep this tradition going for the rest of his days!